Creative Minds: An accidental creative who dreamt of being a detective

Name: Sunwoo Koo

Origin: Seoul, South Korea

Places lived/worked: Seoul, South Korea

Pronouns: She/her

CV:

• Copywriter, DDB Korea, 2020-Present
• Creative Accelerator, 9FRUITS MEDIA, 2019-2020

How did you end up being a creative?

It happened unexpectedly! Around the end of my sophomore year in college, I came across an advertising competition by chance. All day long, right up until the time I went to bed, I had this idea stuck in my head. I decided to download one of the Adobe programs to make an entry for submission. I didn’t have much experience with the software, so I took to YouTube for tips! Unfortunately, what I produced wasn’t the best but for the first time in my life, I felt like I had really achieved something. Stumbling across that competition led to my dream of becoming a copywriter.

What's your favourite piece of work in your portfolio?

Ironically, my most favorite piece of work has never been released. This was a branding campaign idea for a start-up that hadn’t yet figured out its own distinct style. I remember spending so many hours thinking about the tone of voice that would help the brand enter the market. Although the work didn’t end up airing, it is still, to this day, occupying 62MB of storage deep in my MacBook.

What's your favourite piece of work created by someone else?

My favourite piece of work is this ad by Nike. It doesn’t use special effects to catch the viewer’s eye yet is impactful, doesn’t discriminate and gives the brand a powerful voice. This is exactly the kind of advert I want to make. 

What/who are your key creative influences?

I like reading books in my spare time. I feel like learning about the way others think and how they find inspiration will challenge me creatively. Whenever I start working on a new project, I find I can gain insight from books by those who have worked in that particular field.

What career did you think you'd have when you were a kid?

I enjoyed reading mystery novels when I was a kid. Especially Sherlock Holmes. At one point I dreamt of becoming a detective. Unfortunately, private detectives are illegal in Korea. Once I found this out I swiftly ditched the dream out of frustration.

Sherlock Holmes

Do you work best under pressure, or when things are calm?

I try to create a calm and peaceful working environment because I always think that’s how an idea will surface. However, the best ideas tend to pop up whenever I’m under pressure! If there is something I have been working on for a while, just as I’m about to lose confidence, that’s when the best ideas start to flow.

What advice would you give to 10-year-old you, if you could?

In Korea, your age tends to be interpreted as your expertise. For example, there is a mindset of “I’m older, therefore you have to listen to what I say.” We call these people ‘Kkondae’ which is slang for ‘old-fashioned.’ I’d like to tell 10-year-old me not to become this person but to become the kind of person who speaks less, listens well and learns from another’s thoughts.

What really motivates you?

During creative meetings, if others bring interesting and thought-provoking ideas I get frustrated at myself for not thinking of them first. I'm inspired by their creativity so it pushes me to think outside the box.

How would your co-workers describe you?

I hope my co-workers like to think of me as innovative and unconventional. I want them to think, “How did she come up with this? She’s wild!”

What would you do on your perfect day?

I like going to the Han River on an overcast day in comfortable clothes with an iPad. There, I can get some downtime by peacefully reading books and listening to my favorite songs.

Han River, Seoul, Korea

Tell us about your tattoo(s).

I have two tattoos. I have one of two layered rectangular frames on my left forearm. One of the frames is a thick line, and the other is a thin dotted line which sits at a slant on top of the thicker rectangle. The other tattoo is under my left collarbone and it is an outline of the sun with snow crystals. On the day I got the tattoo, the sun was shining brightly, and it also snowed heavily. I remember tattooist and I were surprised because it was the first snow we had in a long time.

What makes you really angry?

The type of person who says they don’t know something without looking it up or that they can’t do something without trying to do so first.